Conventional techniques for gathering information about operational conditions or parameters (e.g., temperature, temperature differences, exhaust gas concentrations) of commercial systems generally entail the use of wired or cabled devices. Such devices present certain limitations on their applicability, particularly when dealing with harsh environments where extreme conditions pose a detrimental effect to the materials comprising the components resulting in sustainability and reliability issues. Thus, a need remains for improved techniques to gather and convey operational system information and parameters in a manner less vulnerable to the above-mentioned drawbacks.